Group 3 Section 125 March 3, 2020

Acabado, Aldrin

Argote, Crystel

Beduya, Shane Vallery

Lugue, Maria Angela

Ollano, Isaiah Joan

1) Answer the ff. questions. Cite excerpts.

A. What is the context of the speech?
Yeb Sano’s context in his speech revolved around three important facts. First, he was
speaking in the United Nations Climate Change Convention. Second, Typhoon Haiyan hit the
Philippines. And lastly, his countrymen and relatives were suffering because of the typhoon
during that time.
Generally, Yeb Sano wanted to emphasize that climate change has been a problem in the
world for a long time. Since he was the country’s representative for the United Nations Climate
Change Convention, it was not surprising that he would deliver a speech about environment on
such setting. He said that it has affected many countries in different ways, especially the
vulnerable ones. For an instance, he enumerated many disastrous events in his statement on page
2, paragraph 3.
“To anyone who continues to deny the reality that is climate change, I dare you
to get off your ivory tower and away from the comfort of your armchair. I dare you to
go to the islands of the Pacific, the islands of the Caribbean and the islands of the
Indian ocean and see the impacts of rising sea levels; to the mountainous regions of
the Himalayas and the Andes to see communities confronting glacial floods, to the
Arctic where communities grapple with the fast dwindling polar ice caps, to the large
deltas of the Mekong, the Ganges, the Amazon, and the Nile where lives and
livelihoods are drowned, to the hills of Central America that confronts similar
monstrous hurricanes, to the vast savannas of Africa where climate change has
likewise become a matter of life and death as food and water becomes scarce…”

Moreover, as a Filipino who knew the colossal damage brought by Typhoon Haiyan, his
context focused on the disaster becoming a warning. According to Sano, Typhoon Haiyan
(Yolanda) was the strongest storm ever recorded in history. He trusts that the UN representatives
would prevent the recurrence of strong typhoons that might devastate poor, maldeveloped and
vulnerable countries. Sano argued that those kinds of events are not natural, but were actually
"madness" since climate change itself is not natural. He mentioned this on page 3, paragraph 2.

“What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is

madness. The climate crisis is madness.”

Likewise, Sano wanted to give a sense of urgency on the issue of climate change. This
urgency was largely rooted from the catastrophe brought by Typhoon Haiyan to the Philippines
at that time. It should also be noted that the commissioner delivered his speech three days after
the typhoon made landfall to the Philippines. This could be actually be realized in the initial part
of his speech, when he acknowledged his fellow Filipinos who were currently racing against
time to save the victims of the typhoon on page 1, paragraph 8.

“We also thank all of you, friends and colleagues in this hall and from all corners
of the world as you stand beside us in this difficult time…I thank civil society, both who
are working on the ground as we race against time in the hardest hit areas, and those
who are here in Warsaw prodding us to have a sense of urgency and ambition...”

Lastly, which is on a more personal note, it could also be implied that the context of his
speech was also due to the current suffering of his family and fellowmen from his home town.
This is base from his statement on page 4, paragraph 6.

“Up to this hour, I agonize while waiting for word as to the fate of my very own
relatives. What gives me renewed strength and great relief was when my brother
succeeded in communicating with us that he has survived the onslaught. In the last two
days, he has been gathering bodies of the dead with his own two hands. He is hungry
and weary as food supplies find it difficult to arrive in the hardest hit areas.”

This could be further supported by his unscripted pledge of voluntary fasting during the
conference on page 5, paragraph 3.

“In solidarity with my countrymen who are struggling to find food back home
and with my brother who has not had food for the last three days, in all due respect
Mr. President, and I mean no disrespect for your kind hospitality, I will now
commence a voluntary fasting for the climate. This means I will voluntarily refrain
from eating food during this COP until a meaningful outcome is in sight.”
 Hence, Yeb Sano’s context in his speech was not solely based on the fact that he was in a
climate change convention. His context also revolved on the fact that Typhoon Haiyan was
currently affecting the Philippines.

B. Who is the audience?

Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Sano delivered his speech during the
opening session of the 12-day climate talks in Warsaw, Poland, three days after Typhoon Haiyan
made landfall to the Philippines. His speech intended to make an appeal to the international
community about the climate crisis and to call the attention of the representatives from nearly
200 countries in a bid to make feasible solutions to climate change by working hand-in-hand
with the UN authorities. This could be seen on page 1, paragraph 2 when he mentions the UN
representatives.

“First and foremost, the people of the Philippines and our delegation here for the
United Nations Climate Change Convention’s 19th Conference of the Parties here in
Warsaw…”
C. What is the expected outcome?
Yeb Sano expected for his speech to be a wake-up call to the international community.
He expects for the United Nations to take immediate action on climate issues given the urgency
of its backlash to disaster-prone areas such as the Philippines. Also, he expects that the UN
authorities will collaborate to arrive at a meaningful outcome as soon as possible. This urgent
plea is evident in his statement on page 5, paragraph 3.
"In solidarity with my countrymen who are struggling to find food back home and with
my brother who has not had food for the last three days, in all due respect Mr.
President, and I mean no disrespect for your kind hospitality, I will now commence a
voluntary fasting for the climate. This means I will voluntarily refrain from eating
food during this COP until a meaningful outcome is in sight."
Further, Sano expects that UN representatives will mitigate climate issues through the
stricter implementation of UN climate convention programs including the mobilization of
resources for the Green Climate Fund, the establishment of a loss and damage mechanism,
creation of pathways to reach the 100 billion dollar fund and stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations. This could be seen in his statement on page 4, paragraph 7.
“We call on this COP to pursue work until the most meaningful outcome is in sight…”
2) Cite an example for formal, informal and neutral registers used in the speech.
A. Formal

Page 1, paragraph 4

“In the midst of this tragedy, the delegation of the Philippines is comforted by the
warm hospitality of Poland, with your people offering us warm smiles everywhere we
go. Hotel staff and people on the streets, volunteers and personnel within the National
Stadium have warmly offered us kind words of sympathy. So, thank you Poland.”

B. Informal

Page 4, paragraph 6

"We call on this COP to pursue work until the most meaningful outcome is in sight….We

must put the money where our mouths are"

C. Neutral

Page 2 Paragraph 2

“According to satellite estimates, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration also estimated that Haiyan achieved a minimum pressure between
around 860 mbar (hPa; 25.34 inHg) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated
Haiyan to have attained one-minute sustained winds of 315 km/h (195 mph) and gusts
up to 378 km/h (235 mph) making it the strongest typhoon in the modern history.”